Personal Branding Part 1

Managing a job search is challenging in the best of times, and during a pandemic it can seem daunting. There are so many things we don’t know, such as whether or not the government will shut down the economy, what the great resignation means for your industry and what the new normal looks like in your office. In uncertain times, it is important to focus on what we can control. If you are out of work and need to pay the bills, developing short-term and long-term career goals might help you stay focused. The short-term goal might be to find a survival job until the economy improves. The long-term goal might involve networking, building skills and gaining experience to prepare for a post-pandemic job market. In order to achieve these goals, you can focus on one thing that you can control today, and that is personal branding. This is part 1 of a two-part series on personal branding.

Whether or not you want to be a brand is not within your control. The fact is you are a brand. A personal brand is very similar to a corporate brand. It is who you are, what you stand for, the values you embrace, and the way in which you express those values. It is every piece of personal information that appears on a Google search and social media. Your brand is your professional reputation and what others say about you. The effort you put into managing this narrative now will help you reach your career goals in the future.

According to Wikipedia personal branding is the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact. This is a long definition, but in two blog posts, I will break it down into smaller steps that will help you influence how others see you. Here are some steps you can take now to start your personal branding journey.

1. Know who you are. The definition above states that personal branding is a conscious and intentional effort, so it is important that you define your interests, values, skills, strengths and work preferences. Many adults with diverse work experience are able to list their characteristics and define the types of work environments in which they thrive. However, if an individual has little work experience or is wondering how their skills might transfer to other industries, it might be time to meet with a career coach or take some online career self-assessments on web sites like MyNextMove, CareerOneStop and Truity. The results of career assessments will provide the vocabulary you can begin to use when describing yourself to potential employers.

2. Determine what you want. After determining your characteristics and work preferences, it is helpful to connect your preferences to organizations that need your talent. There are a number of ways to match your characteristics to possible jobs. You can create a list of interests and skills and use the terms to perform searches on job web sites such as Indeed, LinkedIn and Google Jobs. Perhaps you are interested in using skills such as writing, communications and marketing or you are interested in using these skills in industries such as health care, education and technology. Using these key words to search for jobs can help you determine what specific job titles and industries you will target. For a detailed explanation on how to use Boolean logic to search for jobs, check out this article from Stafflink.

3. Build your skills. Once you determine which jobs you would like to pursue for your long- term and short-term career goals, it is important to read job descriptions to understand which skills you need to develop. If you are not currently working, now is the time to take advantage of educational web sites that are offering free classes. Many public libraries offer access to free training web sites, such as Lynda.com (which was purchased by LinkedIn Learning). Another way to build your skills is to volunteer. According to a 2013 study by the Corporation For National And Community Service, volunteering was associated with a 27% higher odds of employment. Volunteer Match and Idealist are great web sites that can help you find remote and local volunteer opportunities. Keep in mind that the job skills you want to improve may not be needed at an organization for which you are passionate. Your goal is to gain knowledge and experience that you can list on your resume. So be sure that you communicate what skills you would like to use during your volunteer time.

4. Tell your unique story. Once you have a clear understanding of what you have to offer and what type of work you are seeking, it is important to tell your story on a variety of media. It is helpful to speak with trusted friends to brainstorm what you do well and how you are uniquely qualified to perform specific skills, in specific industries or with particular populations. You will tell this story in a different ways in a cover letter, resume, LinkedIn profile, elevator speech, interview, text and email messages. This is the part of personal branding where you need to be consistent because you are creating and influencing public perception of your ability to succeed in your next job. Articulating your “secret sauce” helps you differentiate yourself from the competition.

These personal branding tasks take time and focus, so remember to be gentle with yourself if you can’t think of your strengths, ideal work environment or “secret sauce” right away. You might struggle if you are not comfortable with talking about yourself. Brainstorm with colleagues, family members and loved ones to find out what makes you unique. Ask for help when you feel stuck, but keep doing a few personal branding tasks each day. Remember that your personal brand will change with the world of work. Personal branding activities continue throughout your life and should not end when you get a job. It is always your job to influence the narrative about your professional reputation. Do not allow someone else control your story.

In Part Two of the Personal Branding Series I will cover networking, creating online content, being of service, creating a personal board of directors, and self-care. Let me know if you are working on these personal branding tasks or if you need help getting started.

Contact me at mindfulcareerguide.com for a free consultation today!